"I have a nice life, I can't stand my husband any more, but the kids are happy to live here, we both have a good job, but I'm always on edge. I don't want to participate in family activities on weekends anymore. I've had all the medical tests, hormonal tests, everything is fine," she says as she finishes biting her nails at her first session.
Is it easy to self-diagnose depression?
How can you be objective when it comes to yourself? How can you be sure you can tell the difference between depression, anxiety, chronic stress and increasing severity? Perhaps people who regularly practice meditation, yoga or other activities have a better knowledge of themselves and take the time each day to check their emotions, their cognitive and physiological states, these people would be better able to detect a persistent malaise, but this is certainly not within the reach of everyone.
It seems difficult to self-diagnose. We are often the last to know our condition, whatever it is, and those around us have a much sharper eye.
It is human nature to find external factors to explain our condition, and the ego's job is to hide what can be considered as a vulnerability. The more depression sets in, the more difficult it is also to ask for help because a depressed person tends to isolate himself and is caught in a negative spiral, his way of thinking is altered.
Even today, most of the people concerned have to face a "breakdown" to allow themselves to step back and reflect on their lives.
Depression is more than just a bad mood, however. Countless people with depression often feel worthless, lack appetite, withdraw from friends and family, have difficulty sleeping and may become restless or lethargic. Most worryingly, people who are depressed are often at high risk for illness or suicide.
It took a number of sessions for Ms. X to express her anger.
Anger is an emotional state that can range in intensity from mild irritation to intense rage and fury. Anger has physical effects such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, as well as increased levels of adrenaline and norepinephrine. Anger is a very powerful emotion. If not managed properly, it can have destructive consequences for the individual and his or her family. Uncontrolled anger can lead to physical fights, arguments, physical abuse, self-harm and aggression. But well-managed anger can be a useful emotion for motivating people to make positive changes.
Some people may have angry outbursts, where they have little control over their anger and explode into rage. These rages can lead to violence. Their temperament may cause the person to isolate themselves from family and friends. They may also have low self-esteem and use anger as a way to manipulate others and feel powerful.
Others may repress their anger. They may see anger as "bad" or inappropriate, and repress it. This bottled up anger may turn into depression or anxiety, or some people will vent their anger on innocent parties, such as children or pets
Anger triggers the body's fight or flight response. We begin to feel fear, excitement and anxiety. The autonomic nervous system prepares the body for emergencies. The sympathetic division increases our excitement level and motivates us to act with alertness and speed. The parasympathetic division relaxes us after the emergency has passed, sometimes a closed system of arousal and wakefulness is formed and the arousal level takes some time to dissipate and disappear.
Getting angry is part of human nature, and in some cases, ongoing anger may indicate an underlying problem such as depression. Both overt and suppressed anger is an indication of a mental health disorder. Rather than sadness or emptiness, which are the traits of people with depression, some people will develop a propensity for anger.
As the sessions progress, the angers are expressed, detailed, named and acknowledged, as are the feelings that triggered them, as well as irrational beliefs, statements that seem absurd, which are also questioned at the appropriate time without haste, because one must have the courage to face them and be ready.
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